The two-time world champion Elvis tribute artist returns to Newfoundland for one highly anticipated show August 14th in St. John’s!

It’s been a struggle not coming to Newfoundland, admits Thane Dunn. “I fell in love with the people and with the place, so I can’t wait to bring the show back,” he opened enthusiastically. 

One Elvis tribute show that was supposed to be held in St. John’s last January was cancelled due to the pandemic, but as life returns to normal, the time couldn’t be better, he added. 

“We’re doing the Elvis Summer Festival, going back to 1972, so it’s an amazing show with all the great songs everybody wants to hear. And if fans want to dress up like it’s 1972, it’ll make the show even cooler,” he said with a laugh. 

The pandemic has been so hard on musicians, he added, but now that things are finally getting back to normal, people are coming out and they are enthusiastic for great music again, and there’s nowhere better to tour than Newfoundland. 

“I’ve never been to a place with more talent. And so what we’ve done is we have Dave Fitzpatrick  of The Fables fame. He’s such a great guy, such a talented guy, and so he will be joining my wife Melanie and I on stage too,” he said. This August show will be “the best show ever,” he added. 

“During the pandemic, all we did was practice and practice. And my wife is such an amazing singer,  and we really worked on both our vocals. Anyone who has heard me sing lately say, ‘Wow, your voice is even stronger than it was before.’ I’m able to hit notes that I could never touch before. The past two years has made me a little crazier not being able to perform, but when it comes to getting back on stage, all this practice has only made me make my Elvis performances even more authentic.” 

Focus on the positives

It’s all about focusing on the positives, he added. “When I sing Elvis, the songs, I try to sing them like he did,” he said. 

The songs come through him, or they come through the heart before coming out of his mouth, he explained. 

“You have to feel those songs. And I always try to relate them to something that’s happened in my life. And now, with everything being so emotional during the past two years, all that stuff just seems to have really brought that out in the music, and I hope that makes me a better performer.”

For more visit thanedunn.net and for tickets see artsandculturecentre.com